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By Derrik J. LangASSOCIATED PRESS • Tuesday April 8, 2014 8:39 AM

LOS ANGELES — When the Xbox One was unveiled last year, Microsoft boasted that the successor to the Xbox 360 would feature an updated — and mandatory — version of its camera-based Kinect sensor with more accurate movement tracking and voice detecting.

But when the Xbox One was released in November, there were hardly any games that actually employed the new doodad.

The release of Kinect Sports Rivals ($59.99), a stylish collection of virtual athletic pursuits crafted by veteran game-maker Rare, is changing that. Rivals hopes to compel Xbox One owners to use Kinect for more than just navigating menus.

The game has six activities: watercraft racing, bowling, rock climbing, tennis, target shooting and soccer. While that might sound like a straightforward selection of Olympic sports coming to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the games aren’t straightforward: rock climbing, for example, features electrical obstacles and soccer has holograms.

Before any mountains are conquered or goals are scored, Rivals scans users’ bodies and faces, creating a cartoony avatar that resembles the person’s appearance.

The avatar can later be outfitted with customizable uniforms and gear earned by playing games. It is the most innovative aspect of Rivals — and, with any luck, just a glimpse of the true capabilities of Kinect 2.0.

The sports themselves are a mixed bag.

Virtual bowling, tennis and watercraft racing most closely resemble their real-world counterparts because the new Kinect does a better job of following hands. Shooting and climbing are awkward but amusing. Least-impressive is the dumb-downed soccer game.

If the game’s ability to pit a pair of controller-free players against each other in the same room isn’t enough, there are increasingly difficult courses and artificial opponents as well as online leaderboards and challenges to boost competitiveness.